Book Blogger Hop

This week Sept 28th - October 4th - we are crossing into October so I am going to use the Halloween Edition button ok? Do you know what else? Oct 4th is my birthday!

Book Blogger Hop: Halloween Edition!

The question of the Week

Do you sneak a peek at the number of views your posts have gotten? (submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews)

Answer: I never used to care about the views so much but I do now especially when I enter my URL in a blog meme. I expect more views. It doesn't always happen but if I didn't want views I would do nothing. Although sometimes I wish people would visit simply because they like what I write? lol that's a big presumption and I always aim to do my best but if I waited for perfection, I'd be waiting an eternity. So. I practice. I appreciate everyone so much for visiting and leaving a comment though.

Countdown To Halloween

I've been preparing for Blogoween, Fraterfest and for the Countdown to Halloween which kicks off in 5 days! I'm so excited to be participating in all of the Halloween festivities. If you want to join and/or want to know more about these events click the links and a new tab will open.

Free audiobook - Frankenstein

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Hurry, the offer won't last for long. Penguin random house is giving away a free download of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, narrated by Jim Weiss.

Add to Goodreads | Amazon.ca

Jennifer Estep’s KILL THE QUEEN Blog Tour!

Kill the Queen 

(Crown of Shards #1)

by Jennifer Estep

Kill the Queen, book #1, will be released on Oct. 2. 

The thrilling first novel in the Crown of Shards epic fantasy series combines magic, murder, and adventure when an unlikely member of the royal family suddenly becomes a contender in a clash for the crown.
The Crown of Shards series focuses on Everleigh Blair, a member of the royal family who is distantly in line for the throne of Bellona, a kingdom steeped in gladiator tradition. But when the unthinkable happens, Evie finds herself fighting for her life—both inside and outside the gladiator arena.

 . . . In a realm where one’s magical power determines one’s worth, Lady Everleigh’s lack of obvious ability relegates her to the shadows of the royal court of Bellona, a kingdom steeped in gladiator tradition. Seventeenth in line for the throne, Evie is nothing more than a ceremonial fixture, overlooked and mostly forgotten.
But dark forces are at work inside the palace. When her cousin Vasilia, the crown princess, assassinates her mother the queen and takes the throne by force, Evie is also attacked, along with the rest of the royal family. Luckily for Evie, her secret immunity to magic helps her escape the massacre.
Forced into hiding to survive, she falls in with a gladiator troupe. Though they use their talents to entertain and amuse the masses, the gladiators are actually highly trained warriors skilled in the art of combat, especially Lucas Sullivan, a powerful magier with secrets of his own. Uncertain of her future—or if she even has one—Evie begins training with the troupe until she can decide her next move.
But as the bloodthirsty Vasilia exerts her power, pushing Bellona to the brink of war, Evie’s fate becomes clear: she must become a fearsome gladiator herself . . . and kill the queen.

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon| Barnes & Noble |Books-a-Million |iBooks | Google Play | The Book Depository |

EXCERPT

Breakfast recitals, charity luncheons, afternoon teas. I went to all those and more every week, both here at the palace and out in the city. Most of the time, it wasn’t so bad. Usually, all I had to do was smile, nod, and shake hands, along with thanking people for their time, admiring their music, artwork, or goods, and giving short and exceptionally vague speeches about how disappointed Queen Cordelia was that she couldn’t attend herself. At the very least, I almost always got a free meal out of the proceedings. But even that could be fraught with danger. A few months ago, when the third cousin of the king of Vacuna had visited from the southern islands, I had taken part in a traditional feast—one that involved eating the raw liver of a freshly killed wild boar. Under the watchful eye and careful direction of the king’s cousin, I had slit open the boar’s side and rooted around through all sorts of slimy, squishy things better left to the imagination. The stench of blood and guts had almost knocked me over, but I’d found the liver, pulled it out, and eaten the smallest bite that was considered polite. Then, while the king’s cousin and the rest of his contingent were enthusiastically butchering and grilling the rest of the boar, I’d slipped away and thrown up in the potted, golden persimmon tree they’d brought the queen as a sign of friendship. It had been the closest container, and I’d shifted the dirt around inside the bucket to hide what I’d done. The king’s cousin had been very disappointed that the tree had died a few days later, though. Given my magic, scents and memories were often tangled up together in my mind, and thinking about the liver made my nose twitch. Suddenly, the sweet, enticing smells of the baking pies turned sour and rotten. So I gathered up the dirty bowls, spoons, and measuring cups, dumped them in the closest sink, and stripped off my apron. “Here.” Isobel pushed a red paper bag into my hands. “Some plum tarts. For you and that old sourpuss down in the dungeon.” “Casting aspersions on Alvis’s character again?” She huffed. “They’re not aspersions if they’re true. And he is the grumpiest man I’ve ever met.” I grinned. “And Alvis would call you that old sunny side up in the kitchen.” Isobel huffed again. “Better sunny than sour—” Whispers surged through the room, cutting her off. In the distance, heels clicked on the floor, like thunder signalling an oncoming storm. Everyone quit gossiping and focused on their work, concentrating like they had never concentrated before. All conversation ceased, and the kitchen went deathly quiet, except for the thwack-thwack-thwacks of knives cutting through food and the tick-tick-tick of the timers counting down the minutes left on the baking pies. A forty-something woman appeared at the far end of the kitchen. She too wore a scarlet tunic, but hers featured Queen Cordelia’s rising sun crest stitched in a gold thread over her heart. Her tunic had also been tailored to fit her strong, slender form, along with her black leggings, and short black heels adorned her feet, instead of more sensible boots. Everything about her was sleek and sharp at the same time, from her smooth blond bun to her angular cheekbones to the point of her nose. She would have been quite beautiful, if not for the faint pucker of her lips, as though she were perpetually displeased by everyone around her. Maeven, the kitchen steward, surveyed the room, her gaze moving from one worker and cooking station to the next. After several seconds of silent scrutiny, she snapped her fingers at the three guards who were standing behind her, clutching wooden crates full of bottles. “Why are you just standing there? Put those down and go fetch the others from the wine cellar. I want the rest of the champagne for the luncheon brought up immediately.” The guards set the crates down and beat a hasty retreat. Maeven snapped her fingers at some of the teenage servers. “You three. Go help them.” She didn’t raise her smooth, silky voice, but the three servers still flinched and dashed away, almost tripping over their own feet in their hurry. Maeven had been running the kitchen for more than a year now since the previous steward had retired, and the workers had quickly learned that hers was an iron fist on its best, gentlest day.

I enjoyed reading about Lady Everleighs experience at Seven Spire palace and her epic growth as a character with Serilda Swanson's troupe of gladiators. It was quite formidable how much she changed, and I couldn't put the book down. She loved people in general and fought hard to save the kingdom of Bellona because she was the Winter Queen. Her friendship with Paloma had me in tears. It was so kind and genuine. She learned how to fight from always getting knocked down and beaten, to winning death matches, gladiator fashion, with a sword dagger and shield in an arena! The simple tasks of baking and dancing she thought were useless, proved to be critical and advantageous for saving her life. She was a Bellonan good at playing the long game and outsmarting the opponent. 
Crown Princess Vasilia is the daughter of Queen Cordelia. She is a very powerful Magier with a black heart. When her mother invites noble guests from Andvardia to negotiate peace, Vasilia massacres the lot of them and kills her mother and injures Everleigh. Everleigh kept her magic a secret. She was immune to magic and could smell enchantment spells a mile away. Everleigh gets thrown out of the palace when blasted by Vasilia's lightning and falls into the river below. Before Cordelia dies, she makes Evie promise to save her kingdom of Bellona. Everleigh, the last surviving Blair and heir to the throne, must defeat Vasilia before she spreads her vicious and evil attacks and dooms Bellona for good. Cordelia also tells her to find Serilda Swanson for protection. Now the adventure begins. She travels with the troupe of friends and gladiators to some distant land risking life and limb in perilous snow storms only to be captured and made to dance the Tanzen Freund. The writing was very intelligent, and it was fun. I enjoyed it.

LAUREN FORTGANG TO NARRATE KILL THE QUEEN 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jennifer Estep is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea.
Jennifer writes the Crown of Shards epic fantasy series.
Jennifer is also the author of the Elemental Assassin, Mythos Academy, Bigtime, and Black Blade fantasy series.
For more information on Jennifer and her books, visit www.jenniferestep.com

or follow Jennifer on Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter. You can also sign up for her newsletter.

ABOUT THE NARRATOR

Lauren Fortgang lives in New York City where she currently works as an actor and voiceover artist. I know her best for her work as an audiobook narrator at Audible, Hachette, Penguin - Random House, Harper and beyond, having recorded roughly 150 unabridged titles and some 200 segments for monthly programming. She has received recognition from Audiofile Magazine, the Audio Publishers Association, the American Library Association and the Young Adult Library Services Association, School Library Journal, USA Today and Publisher's Weekly. Visit her website. https://www.laurenfortgang.com

Win a $25 Amazon gift card! Contest runs Sept. 17 until October 7. a Rafflecopter giveaway Rafflecopter link: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/9751c04214/

Review: Gone Hunting

Gone Hunting by Cecy Robson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Kim @ caffeinated PR Services for sending me an e-ARC copy.

Aric and his friends Liam, Gemini and Koda are Weres, who go hunting for Elk in the Mount Elbert area but come upon a young golden tigress who appears to be lost. Aric is attracted by a strange magic to this tigress who changes into a young girl whose name is Celia Wird. She is also the reason dark magic forces gather wherever she goes. "They" want to kill her for some weird (pun intended) reason. She only escapes them because of a white (good) witch's intervention spell, but her spell didn't work correctly. The magic messes with the ley lines and Celia ends up in the past! Unfortunately, my mind can't wrap itself around the idea

But still, I am delighted to have found this epic fantasy/paranormal. Is it also a romance? Idk but I've been hoping for something good to come along and Weird Girls looks promising. Gone Hunting is not just about boy things, but girl things, Celia and her sisters. Witches and Weres. I love strong female characters. I'm also glad to be able to read this series starting from the beginning. If you are familiar with Weird Girls you probably have already seen or read the other 8 (?) novels.

Cecy Robson is a new-to-me author and I am thankful for this introduction to The Weird Girls.



View all my reviews

Let's Have A Monstrous Good Time!

Notoriously Morbid Cosmetics is celebrating the second annual Countdown to Halloween with their Advent Calendar.
They offer a box of makeup products that are totally radical. I mean names like Mayor Monster and Hocus Pocus Crypt Creation or Cryogenic Limbo Mystic Matte. What's not to like?
Each box contains 13 new mystery items and some new products, counting down to the big fangtastic spooky day!

If you are new to advent calendars here is what last years NM's Advent Calendar looked like.

Last years theme, as you can see, was Scooby Doo. So cute!

You will receive a box in the mail with 13 products. Each product will be a mystery to open that will be numbered. You will open one item (the numbers will let you know which one to open for that day) until the very end for a sparkly, spooky, Halloween countdown!

This year Notoriously Morbid are celebrating their favourite monsters and will have products including an exclusive multichrome, several duochromes, and a few new to NM products!

It costs a pretty penny though. $55 for the mini size and $75 for the full size. Unfortunately, I won't be buying this year but if you like wearing makeup, it's fun. Their products are good but the packaging is simply horrendous and tbh I prefer my eyeshadows pressed in favour of loose powder.

There is magic in the air when pumpkins sparkle in the moonlight... Don't worry, there are no tricks in this mystical box...only treats.

TOPBOX Canada's most affordable makeup subscription box($12/month. Free shipping.) rivalling Ipsy(only 10$/month. Free shipping in US but it costs $14.95 CAD), has released their Limited Edition Just Treats Halloween Box 2018 for October. It contains makeup deluxe samples
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12 Books of Christmas 2018 Challenge List

I don't know what happened to Novella November but that meme helped get me into the Christmas spirit très beaucoup. I want to keep it a tradition on the blog so when I came upon a midnight dreary an opportunity for another reading challenge I took it and Voila!

Je Suis Prèt 

It is in this post I announce the 12 Books of Christmas Challenge. I know it's early but it'll be fun and don't shoot the messenger but take the time to gather up the materials you need and schedule your post in advance to join for the fun festivity starting on November 22-December 24 2018. It's totally up to you of course.

Don't throw your pumpkin spice latte for loot, instead look ahead. 

The basic idea is to try and read and review twelve holiday-themed books between Thanksgiving and Christmas, which gives you just over a month to get it done. 

There are achievement levels so you can complete this:

Elf Status 1-4 books,

Reindeer status 5-8 books,

Mrs. Claus Status 9-11 books,

Santa Status 10-12 books!

This girl is going full-on Santa Status!

Allow me to link to the Offical Rules and Sign Up Page 

HERE'S MY READING LIST

1. White Night (A Novella) by Arabella Abbing 
2. Mistletoe and Mischief: A Collection of Magic 
3. Santa's Secret (Christmas Wishes book1 ) by Serenity Woods 
4. Bad Boys for Hire by Rachelle Ayala 
5. Christmas at the Castle by Melissa McClone 
6. Silver Bells by CJ Hunt 
7. Santa Baby, I want a Bad Boy for Christmas by Justine Elvira 
8. The Christmas Tree Guy by Railyn Stone 
9. Twas the Knight Before Christmas by M.Clarke 
10. Love, Christmas Holiday Stories 
11. Christmas in the City II 
12. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Marie Landry 
13. North Pole High: A rebel without a clause 
14. Dec the Holls by Jasinda Wilder 
15. Winter Angel by Mia Hoddell: Romance YA Novella
17. A Kiss for Christmas by C.C. Wood
18. Last Christmas by Talli Roland

Book Blogger Hop

Book Blogger Hop

The question of the week

Do you like to finish one book before starting the next or do you read several at once? (submitted by Cathy @ What Cathy Read Next)

I can't begin to express how frustrated I am with books right now. I am concentrating so dang hard and nothing is grabbing my attention. I don't know if it's the book or just me. I'm not one hundred percent certain it's me. There is always room for improvement in my choices of books and I sometimes can't concentrate but come on! I am getting sick of paranormal fantasy Idk. Maybe I should step out of the proverbial comfort zone and choose some other genre for a while. I've been thinking about adult fiction or new adult fiction.
Presently I am reading Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews and Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron. I'm also listening to an audiobook, Under A Dark Sky. I'm having a hard time keeping up. Typically, I have a hard time paying attention to just listening to an audiobook. Anyway, no it doesn't work for me. I prefer to finish one book before I start another one. 

Books from the Backlog - Lolita

Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you would like to join in, please feel free to enter your link @ Carole's Random Life In Books, then spend some time visiting some of the other posts.

This week's neglected book

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Awe and exhilaration--along with heartbreak and mordant wit--abound in Lolita, Nabokov's most famous and controversial novel, which tells the story of the ageing Humbert Humbert's obsessive, devouring, and doomed passion for the nymphet Dolores Haze. Lolita is also the story of a hypercivilized European colliding with the cheerful barbarism of postwar America. Most of all, it is a meditation on love--love as outrage and hallucination, madness and transformation. 

Where to begin with this one. I first heard of Lolita on MySpace. The moderator of Choking on Sunflowers (a Facebook forum) voted for Lolita in a read-along but I never read it because it got shut down or something crazy stupid like that. It was a long time ago and for all intents and purposes, Lolita came recommended. I'm afraid I won't like it. I received my copy from Secret Santa in 2011.

What are your thoughts? Have you read this book? Would you recommend it to others?

All Hallows Read Free Booklet Treat

Neil Gaiman started All Hallows Read in celebration of books and Halloween. The idea is to give a scary book on Halloween. Sounds good right? I know. There is a free booklet available for download, and it would make a great treat for giving out to young tricksters. Follow THIS LINK

Give a scary book on Halloween! #allhallowsread https://t.co/5M2w5nXDBp via @neilhimself pic.twitter.com/4EfCS0NXw1

— Jackie (@joliejackie) September 19, 2018

From the pages of What October Brings: A Lovecraftian Celebration of Halloween, a new anthology edited and with an introduction by Doug Draa, comes a treat for your trick-or-treaters! Celaeno Press has created a series of foldable booklets, reprinting Uncle’s in the Treetops by Darrell Schweitzer. Each print is on a single sheet of single-sided paper and can easily be folded and (with one small cut) turned into a small booklet.

Two different formats are provided:

  5 Booklets – The story is split into five different parts, each with their own cover. Split them among friends and family members to encourage sharing, or give each trick-or-treater a complete set.
  1 Booklet – The story is split across four pages, each of which can be folded into a booklet and then glued or taped together into one thicker booklet. For instructions on how to fold and cut your booklets, you may consult this short video tutorial or this blog post.

Books from the Backlog - Sacré Bleu

Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you would like to join in, please feel free to enter your link @ Carole's Random Life In Books, then spend some time visiting some of the other posts.

This week's neglected book

Sacré Bleu: A Comedy d'Art
by Christopher Moore
The book image on the left is an Amazon affiliate link
Book title link to Goodreads

In his latest novel, Moore takes on the Great French Masters. A magnificent “Comedy d’Art”, Sacre Bleu is part mystery, part history (sort of), part love story, and wholly hilarious as it follows a young baker-painter who joins the dapper Henri Toulouse-Lautrec on a quest to unravel the mystery behind the supposed suicide of Vincent van Gogh.

  Why did I add Sacré Bleu to my bookshelf?

It was mostly because of the title. Sacred Blue or Dammit. In French. Also, he mentions the Virgin Mary because she is depicted dressed in blue, hence the sacred aspect. I thought the title and the author were brilliant. I read Christopher Moores cute little vampire story called You Suck, and I liked it. I actually started Sacré Bleu but I didn't finish it and I abandoned it sadly. There was nothing wrong with it other than it was something I wasn't too interested in at the time. Idk. It's good though.

What are your thoughts? Have you read this book? Would you recommend it to others?

Books from the Backlog

Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you would like to join in, please feel free to enter your link @ Carole's Random Life In Books, then spend some time visiting some of the other posts.

This week's neglected book

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Movie Tie-in Edition

by C.S. Lewis (author)
(adult) Paperback – Oct 25 2005
Publisher: HarperFestival

They open a door and enter a world
NARNIA...the land beyond the wardrobe, the secret country known only to Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy...the place where the adventure begins. Lucy is the first to find the secret of the wardrobe in the professor's mysterious old house. At first, no one believes her when she tells of her adventures in the land of Narnia. But soon Edmund and then Peter and Susan discover the Magic and meet Aslan, the Great Lion, for themselves. In the blink of an eye, their lives are changed forever.

  The Book Depository| Goodreads | Amazon 

Why did I add it to my bookshelf? 

I won this book in a blog giveaway a few years ago @ weheartya.com. I had watched the movie already and had every intention of reading the book but never did. I remember how thrilled I was to win a copy of C.S. Lewis Lion Witch and Wardrobe.

What are your thoughts? Have you read this book? Would you recommend it to others?

Kill The Queen - My Review

Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep

I received an e-arc copy thanks to Edelweiss and HarperCollins!

To be released: October 2, 2018
Series: A Crown of Shards Novel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Genre: Adult Epic Fantasy

Goodreads Summary 

Gladiator meets Game of Thrones: a royal woman becomes a skilled warrior to destroy her murderous cousin, avenge her family, and save her kingdom in this first entry in a dazzling fantasy epic from the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Elemental Assassin series—an enthralling tale that combines magic, murder, intrigue, adventure, and a hint of romance. In a realm where one’s magical power determines one’s worth, Lady Everleigh’s lack of obvious ability relegates her to the shadows of the royal court of Bellona, a kingdom steeped in gladiator tradition. Seventeenth in line for the throne, Evie is nothing more than a ceremonial fixture, overlooked and mostly forgotten. But dark forces are at work inside the palace. When her cousin Vasilia, the crown princess, assassinates her mother the queen and takes the throne by force, Evie is also attacked, along with the rest of the royal family. Luckily for Evie, her secret immunity to magic helps her escape the massacre. Forced into hiding to survive, she falls in with a gladiator troupe. Though they use their talents to entertain and amuse the masses, the gladiators are actually highly trained warriors skilled in the art of war, especially Lucas Sullivan, a powerful magier with secrets of his own. Uncertain of her future—or if she even has one—Evie begins training with the troupe until she can decide her next move. But as the bloodthirsty Vasilia exerts her power, pushing Bellona to the brink of war, Evie’s fate becomes clear: she must become a fearsome gladiator herself . . . and kill the queen. 

I enjoyed reading about Lady Everleighs experience at Seven Spire palace and her growth as a character with Serilda Swanson's troupe of gladiators. It was quite formidable how much she changed, and I couldn't put the book down. She loved people in general and fought hard to save her country because she was the Winter Queen. Her friendship with Paloma had me in tears. It was so kind and genuine. She learned how to fight from always getting knocked down and beaten, to winning death matches, gladiator fashion, with a sword dagger and shield in an arena! You go, girl! Baking and Dancing were tasks she thought were useless but proved to be critical and useful for saving her life.

Lady Everleigh was good at playing the long game with the opponent.

Crown Princess Vasilia is the daughter of Cordelia, the Queen of Seven Spire and the kingdom of Bellona.
Vasilia is a powerful Magier with a black heart.
When her mother Cordelia invites noble guests from Andvardia to negotiate peace, Vasilia massacres the lot of them and kills her mother and injures Everleigh. Everleigh has magic but keeps it a secret. She is immune to magic and can smell it a mile away. Everleigh gets thrown out of the palace when blasted by Vasilia's lightning and falls into the river below.

Before Cordelia dies, she makes Evie promise to save Bellona. Everleigh is a Blair and the only living true heir to sit on the throne and therefore must defeat Vasilia before she spreads her vicious and evil attacks and dooms Bellona for good.
Cordelia also tells her to find Serilda Swanson for protection. Now the adventure begins, and she travels with the troupe of friends and gladiators to some distant land risking life and limb in perilous snow storms only to be captured and made to dance the Tanzen Freund of some sort. Lol, that was a little silly, but it all made for a fun read. I enjoyed it.

Kindle Amazon | The Book Depository

About the author

Jennifer Estep is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author who prowls the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea. In addition to Kill the Queen, Jennifer is also the author of the Elemental Assassin, Mythos Academy, Black Blade, and Bigtime series.

Website: https://www.jenniferestep.com